Former Texas Border Protection inspector found guilty of defrauding immigrants by posing as lawyer

A former El Paso Border Protection official is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to wire fraud for schemes he used to take advantage of immigrants, authorities said.

Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspector Frederico Garcia Jr. admitted to the charge Thursday in front of a U.S. district judge, according to the Justice Department.

Garcia said he falsely told people between November 2015 and this past May that he was an immigration attorney and charged fees for helping them with benefit applications.

Garcia used the business names Justice International and High End Immigrant Resource Center to defraud numerous individuals, the Justice Department said. He also offered false opportunities for investment, which he promised victims would make them large sums of money.